March 18th or this year marked the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court decision that insisted all defendants have the right to representation by an attorney, regardless of their ability to pay. Half a century later, we’re still far from fulfilling Gideon’s promise.

The failure of our criminal justice system is impossible to ignore in many communities but practically invisible in the mainstream media. That’s why I was so excited to read at Colorlines about HBO’s July 1st release of “Gideon’s Army,” a new documentary on public defenders working in the Deep South. Check out the trailer below (transcript after the jump) and watch an extended clip here.